Naper Nebraska - Nebraska Directory

Village · Boyd County · Population 89 (2020 census) · ZIP 68755 · Founded 1899 · Peak population 300 (1910)

About Naper

Naper is a village of 89 on NE 12 in western Boyd County, 13 miles west of Butte and about 3 miles south of the South Dakota line. Spur 8A runs north from town. Naper has the Naper Cafe and Lounge and the White Horse Ranch Museum and Heritage Hall, open by appointment.

History

Naper started on 80 acres given by Ralph Naper and George Hotaling; most accounts date it to 1899, though one gives 1892. It was first called Naperville. Naper never had a railroad. The population peaked at 300 in 1910. Dr. Charles Zimmerman served the town for 27 years; after his death in 1931 his widow gave more than 300 Native American artifacts to the Nebraska State Historical Society.

On August 3, 1944, an Army Air Forces C-47 carrying 28 men from Bruning Army Air Field crashed in a ravine about 6 miles southwest of Naper. No one survived; it is the largest single military air disaster in Nebraska. Southeast of town, Cal and Ruth Thompson's White Horse Ranch, known for its white horses and riding school, is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Naper Historical Society has published The Naper Paper since 2003.

Read the full History of Naper →

Highways and trails through Naper

Route	One way	Other way
NE 12East–west through Naper	East to Butte (13 mi) and Spencer (about 23 mi)	West to Springview, Keya Paha County (about 41 mi)
Spur 8AState spur road	North from NE 12 at Naper	Begins at NE 12

Nearby towns

Butte	13 mi east	NE 12
Anoka	about 16 mi east	NE 12 to Butte, then county road
Spencer	about 23 mi east	NE 12
Springview	about 41 mi west	NE 12

Things to see

Lost Airmen of World War II historical marker on NE 12, with the airmen and veterans memorials · the airmen's memorial in Knoll Crest Cemetery · White Horse Ranch Museum and Heritage Hall, Main St. (by appointment)

Schools and health care

Schools: Boyd County Public Schools; nearest campus Boyd County Butte Elementary (13 mi); grades 5–12 in Spencer

Health care: Nearest clinic Avera Medical Group Butte (13 mi, Mondays); nearest hospital Niobrara Valley Hospital, Lynch (about 38 mi)

Sources: U.S. Census; Wikipedia; NEGenWeb Boyd County histories; History Nebraska; Nebraska Department of Transportation route mileposts. Distances marked "about" are estimates.

NAPER WEATHER